Valve structure



Feb. 9, 1932. E. R. WHARTON 1,344,532

VALVE STRUCTURE Filed March 12, 1931 Patented Feb. 9, 1932 UNITED STATESEDWARD R. WEAR-TON, F MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS VALVE STRUCTURE Applicationfiled March 12, 1931.

My invention relates to valve structures but more especially to valvestructures such as are incor izotsated in the delivery nozzles of greaseguns and the like, and it has for its object to improve the constructionof valve structures of this class.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved valvestructure of the type shown and described in my co-pending applix,cation filed January 2, 1931, Serial Number Grease guns and the likehave heretofore been provided with a delivery nozzle comprising atubular body whose outlet end portion was adapted to he slidtelescopically on to a nipple forming part of a ported receiving fixtureafter which the nozzle was partially rotated on the nipple to interlockthe two devices so that they would be held 19,; coupled together whileoperating the gun to deliver grease, oil or the like into the receivingfixture.

It has been common to provide a normally closed valve within the tubularbody which a was automatically opened by the nipple when said body wasslid endwise on to the same, said valve being normally held closed, andyieldingly urged toward the outlet end of the body, by a coiled springwhich was the :ri sole means depended upon for closing said valve whilethe nozzle was being removed endwise from the nipple at the conclusionof the delivery operation of the gun.

In the application above referred to the "I; valve is positively openedby rotation of the body on the nipple in a direction to lock the samethereto and positively closed by rotation of said body in the oppositedirection when uncoupling said body from the nipple.

u) it also a feature of the invention of said Serial No. 522,046.

proved valve structure of the same type as that shown and described inmy co-pending application above noted and characterized by the same modeof operation, and this invention resides in the peculiar features ofconstruction and arrangement of parts set forth in the followingdescription, the several features of the invention being particularlypointed out and defined in the claims at the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawings lligure 1 is a central longitudinalsectional view of a delivery nozzle for grease guns and the like, saidnozzle being shown coupled to the nipple of a receiving fixture and withthe valve mechanism thereof in its open condition.

Figure 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the nozzle shown inFigure 1 with the valve mechanism thereof in its closed condition.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Fig. 1.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the valveoperating member hereinafterdescribed.

Figure 8 is an end view of the valve-operat ing member shown in Figure7.

Herein I have embodied my invention in a nozzle for grease guns and thelike comprising a tubular or hollow body 10 that is formed interiorlywith a bore or chamber 11 extending from end to end thereof which is, inmost part, approximately cylindrical.

One end portion 12 of this chamber is hereinafter referred to as theinlet end portion and the opposite end portion 13 is hereinafterreferred to as the outlet end portion.

Within the outlet end portion 13 of chamber 11 the body 10 is formedwith a pair of integral segmental lugs 14, one at each side of chamber11, said lugs having straight, relatively parallel, chord-like inneredges which are spaced apart to provide between them a passageway forthe end portion of the nipple a of a ported receiving fixture A of usualconstruction which is ordinarily permanently attached to a hearing orthe like.

The nipple a is formed with a cylindrical neck 6 at the inner end ofwhich is provided an annular shoulder c and at the outer end of which isprovided a head including as parts thereof two radial lugs e disposeddiametrically opposite each other and of no greater width than the neckI).

The diameter of the neck Z) is slightly less than the passageway betweenthe lugs 1a of body 10 and the distance from endto end of the lugs e, aswell as the diameter of the body portion of nipple a, is slightly lessthan the diameter of the outlet end portion 13 of chamber 11.

Therefore, it is possible to slide the outlet end of body 10telescopically on to the nipple a with the lugs 6 held in positions topass between and beyond the lugs 14 after which rotary movement of body10 on the nipple a to the extent of ninety degrees in a right handdirection places the lugs e behind the lugs 1a thereby interlocking thebody and nipple so that they are held or locked coupled together asshown in Figure 1.

The fixture A. is made with a port or conduit 7 whose inlet end is atthe center of the head of the nipple and controlled by the usualoutwardly closing spring pressed ball check valve 9.

Within the chamber 11, behind the lugs 14, is provided a novel valvemechanism including a rotatable and axially movable valve operatingmember 15 comprising an approximately cylindrical body 16 slidablyfitting the chamber 11. At its inner rear end the body 16' is formedwitha boss 17 having an exteriorly grooved cylindrical base portion, Figure7, upon which a packing ring 35 of leatheror the like is secured bymeans of a split ring 36 that is sprung into the groove of said boss.

The inner end portion of the boss 17 is formed upon opposite sidesthereof with parallel flat sides 17a to adapt the same to fit looselybetween a pair of jaws 18 provided at the outer end of the stem 19 of adisk gate 7 valve 20. At its inner end the boss 17 is made with anaxially alined exteriorly cylindrical piston extension or stud 21 snuglybutslidably fitted within a cylindrical hole 22 formed through valve 20and its stem 19 at the middle thereof.

The valve 20 is rotatably mounted within. a cup shaped valve seat member23 having four ports 24 formed therethrough to cooperate with four ports25 formed through the valve member 20. The ports 24- and 25 are allpositioned the same distance from the axis of valve 20 and the ports ofeach set are relatively disposed angularly ninety degrees apart aroundthe axis of the valve. It will, therefore, be clear that by rotativelyadjusting. the valve its ports 25 be positioned in register with theports 24 to open the valve mechanism, or they may be positioned betweenthe ports 24' to close the valve mecha- 1 nism.

The cup-like valve seat member 23 is fixed immovably within the inletend of the body 10 so as to constitute a part or section thereof, bymeans of a key-pin 26 and threaded sleeve 27.

The valve member 20 is held in position.

36' where it is formed with radial branches 3O communicating withchamber 11 between packing ring and valve seat member 23.

The threaded sleeve 27 is screwed on to the usual exteriorly threadedoutlet nipple (not shown) of the cylinder of the grease gun or the likeso that when the valve mechanism is in its open condition and the greasegun or the like is operated to discharge material therefrom into theinlet end of the nozzle, said material is forced under pressure throughthe ports 25 and 24: into that part of chamber 11 which is between valveseat member 23 and packing 35 and thence through branch ports 30 andmain port 29 into the port 7 of the receiving fixture A.

Into the outlet end portion of the port 29 is driven a pin or stud 32whose outer end is projected into the inlet end of port f when thenozzle is slid telescopically on to the nipple of the receiving fixtureand thereby operates to open the check valve 9 against the pressure ofits spring, and to hold said check valve open during the deliveryoperation.

The pin or stud 32 is square in cross-section and when driven partlyinto port 29, four passageways or ports exist around said pin or stud asshown in Figure 8, through which the material is delivered into port 7"as described.

When the body 10 is slid on to the nipple a the lugs e of the latterpass between the lugs 14 on body 10 and the end portion of the nipplesurrounding the inlet end of port f is brought into abutting engagementwith an annular complementary seat 37 Figure 8, provided upon the outerend of valve-oper ating member 15 around the delivery ends of the fourpassages or ports alongside of the pin or stud 32. Continued movement ofbody 10 endwise on to the nipple after the latter is in engagement withthe seat 37 shifts the body 10 axially relatively to the nipple a andvalve-operating member 15 until the lugs 14; of the body have passed thelugs e of the nipple, whereupon the body 10 is turned ninety degrees ina right hand direction which brings the lugs 14 into position behind thelugs 6 thereby interlocking the nipple and body.

The outer end of the valve operating member 15 is made with two lugs 42which are diametrically opposite each other and sepa rated, one from theother, a distance slightly greater than the diameter of the neck 7).Therefore, as the body 10 is shoved endwise on to the nipple asdescribed the lugs e of the latter are caused to be positioned betweenthe lugs 42 of the valve-operating member with the result that thenipple holds said member against rotating with the body 10 when thelatter is given a quarter turn to position the lugs 14: behind the lugs6. It will, therefore, be clear that the rotation of valve seat member23 with the body 10 opens the valve mechanism preparatory to thedelivery operation of the gun.

During the delivery operation of the gun the grease or other fluidmaterial is subjected to great pressure and transmits this pressure tothe inner end of the piston 21 and also upon the packing ringConsequently, the pressure thus imposed on these parts, together withthe re-action of this pressure through the piston and cylinder of thegun upon body 10, serves to cause said body and valve-operating member15 to hold the latter tightly seated against the end of the nippleduring the delivery operation.

As shown in Figure 5 the body 16 of the valve-operating member 15 isformed upon its exterior with an arcuate notch 38 that occupied by a.stop lug 39 provided upon the interior of body 10 which co-operates withshoulders 40 and 41 at opposite ends of said notch. These shoulders arespaced apart an angular distance of ninety degrees plus the thickness ofthe stop lug 39 and through engagement with the latter serve to limit toninety degrees the rotary movement of body 10 in either directionrelatively to valve-operating member 15.

Thus, when the delivery operation is completed. and body 10 is turned onthe nipple a in a left hand direction to uncouple the body and nippleand close valve the extent of the movement of the body in this directionis limited to ninety degrees by the engagement oi lug 39 and shoulder40. When lug 39 is thus brought against shoulder the lugs 42 of thevalve-operating member are in position behind the lugs 14, and the lugse of the nipple are in register with the passageway between said lugs 14so that body 10 can be removed endwise from the nipple.

ills the body 10 is removed endwise from the nipple the pressure of thefluid material behind the packing ring 35 and against the inner end ofthe piston 21 urges the valveoperating member outwardly until. the lugsi2 seat against the lugs 14 of the body where they remain until saidbody is again applied to the nipple.

What I claim is:

1. In a valve structure for controlling the delivery of a fluid underpressure the combination with a body formed with a chamber extendingtherethrough having inlet and outlet end portions whereof the latterportion is adapted to he slid on to the nipple of a ported receivingfixture and then rotated to interlock said body and nipple, of a valvemechanism comprising a port-controlling valve member mounted within saidchamber so that said body is movable rotatively with relation theretobut not axially; a ported valve-operating member adj ustably connectedwith said valve member and mounted within said chamher so that said bodyis movable axially and also rotatively with relation thereto, saidvalve-operating member having means adj acent its outer end to abut andinterlock with said nipple when said body is slid on to thelattor sothat when said body is thereafter rotated to interlock it with saidnipple, the said valve and valve-operating members are held stationaryby said nipple, the connection between said two members permitting thepres sure of the fluid within the inlet end portion of said chamber tourge said valve-operating plember toward the outlet end of said cham- 2.In a valve structure for controlling the delivery of fluid underpressure, the combination with a body formed with a chamber extendingtherethrough having inlet and outlet end portions whereof the latterporti on is adapted to be slid telescopically on to the nipple of aported receiving fixture and then rotated to interlock said body andnipple, of a valve mechanism comprising a valve member for controllingthe passage of fluid under pressure through said chamber, said memberbeing mounted within said chamber and rotatable relatively to said bodybut immovable axially with relation thereto, and a portedvalve-operating member adjustably connected with said valve member andmounted within said chamber between said valve member and said outletend portion so that it is movable both axially and rotatively withrelation to said body, said valveoperating member having means adjacentits outer end to abut and interlock with the nipple of the receivingfixture when said body is slid on to said nipple thereby to cause saidnipple to hold said valve and valve-operating member stationary whensaid body is rotated to interlock it with said nipple, the connectionbetween said two members permitting of axial movement of saidvalve-operating member relatively to said valve member so that thepressure of the fluid within the inlet end portion of said chamber urgessaid valve operating member toward and against the end of the nipple ofthe receiving fixture during the delivery operation.

3. A valve structure for controlling the delivery of fluid underpressure constructed in accordance with claim 2 and including a packingring mounted u on the exterior of said valve-operating mem er andslidably engaging the interior of said body thereby to prevent leakageof material through the joint between said valve-operating member andsaid body.

4. A valve structure for controlling the delivery of fluidunder pressureconstructed in accordance with claim 2 and including means provided atthe outer end of said valve-operating member to engage and open thevalve of a receiving fixture of the character described when said bodyis slid telescopically into position upon the nipple thereof.

' 5'. A valve structure for controlling the delivery of fluid underpressure constructed in accordance with claim 2 and wherein the outletend portion of said chamber is constructed with a pair of oppositelydisposed lugs to interlock with the nipple of the receiving fixure andwhich also serve as stops to limit the outward movement of saidvalveoperating member under the influence of said pressure.

Signed by me at Boston, county of Suffolk, and State of Massachusetts,this 2nd day of March, 1931. 1

' EDWARD R. WHARTON.

